Reflections: The Fourth of July — a favorite holiday

REFLECTIONS

I really like holidays. My favorite is always the current one and so July 4 or Independence Day is my favorite holiday today. Patriotism with music and fireworks — that’s a combination.

My July 4 holiday includes such programs as the Capitol Fourth, the Boston Pops, Red, White and Boom and Macy’s Fireworks, all televised. Fireworks and “Stars and Stripes Forever,” still brings goose bumps.

I remember, though, as a youngster that we had what were called “sparklers” that my dad lit with a match and the end of the wire holder would send colorful sparks. We would twirl them to get beautiful effect. My dad would also set off firecrackers for us, but he was careful as he handled them.

Living in the country there were no nearby legal fireworks displays like there are today. Later, as parents we took our youngsters to some of those displays, usually at a fairgrounds, like today. Celebrating the nation’s birthday, to me, is almost as important as celebrating my own.

It was July 4, 1776, that the Constitution of the United States was adopted, thereby making it the nation’s birthday. So, celebrate with picnics, parties, and viewing fireworks.

News from the past:

July, 1938: Steve’s Gulf Station at the bridge on Gilead Street offered five cent hamburgers and were advertised “Buy them by the sack.”

The men and women over the age of 60 in Fulton organized a Townsend Club. The price of a ticket at the Cardington railroad station was increased by 25 per cent, from 2 to 2.5 cents.

July, 1948: Pictured was a brick house on Route 61, near Fargo, that was built in 1825 by Peleg Sherman, grandfather of Dr. E. C. Sherman, then a Cardington physician.

The Cardington Chapter of the FFA had entered a booth in the junior division of the Ohio State Fair. Committee members were Willis Long, chairman, Loren Levering and John Lindsay.

The Cardington Ice House at 116 Glendale Ave., next to the cemetery, owned by Carl Sollar, began selling garden plants.

An 1874 photo appeared in the Morrow County Independent showing a Temperance Crusade taking place on West Main Street in front of the hotel.

A weather recording instrument, with an attached parachute and carried aloft by a balloon was found on the Cyrus Faust farm on U.S. 42 south of Cardington.

July, 1968: Walter Barton of Cardington, retired after working as a pattern maker for 43 years. He had co-owned Quality Pattern Co. in Mount Glead with John Parshall since 1957.

Willard Beam, a resident of U.S. 42, Cardington, won $5,000 in a bowling tournament in Bucyrus.